AFF Championship 2014: Suzuki Cup Dates, Fixtures and More
The 2014 Suzuki Cup is the 10th edition of the AFF Championship which sees the best international teams from south east Asia square off against each other.
This year's hosts are reigning champions Singapore and Vietnam—with eight nations battling it out for the prize.
Four stadiums will be used for the tournament: In Singapore, the 55,000-capacity National Stadium will be used for the first time, as well as the smaller Jalan Besar Stadium.
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And in Vietnam, the two venues that have been chosen are the My Dinh National Stadium, which holds just over 40,000 spectators, and the Hang Day Stadium.
Round 1 of the competition begins with a group stage—consisting of two groups of four teams. The top two sides from both sections progress to the semifinal knockouts.
Here, we give you the dates and fixtures of the matches, and team information:
| Vietnam | Singapore |
| Philippines | Malaysia |
| Indonesia | Thailand |
| Laos | Myanmar |
| Nov. 22 | Philippines v Laos | 9 a.m. GMT/4 a.m ET |
| Nov. 22 | Vietnam v Indonesia | 12 p.m. GMT/7 a.m. ET |
| Nov. 25 | Philippines v Indonesia | 9 a.m GMT/4 a.m ET |
| Nov. 25 | Laos v Vietnam | 12 p.m. GMT/7 a.m. ET |
| Nov. 28 | Indonesia v Laos | 12 p.m. GMT/7 a.m. ET |
| Nov. 28 | Vietnam v Philippines | 12 p.m. GMT/7 a.m. ET |
| Nov. 23 | Malaysia v Myanmar | 9 a.m. GMT/4 a.m ET |
| Nov. 23 | Singapore v Thailand | 12 p.m. GMT/7 a.m. ET |
| Nov. 26 | Malaysia v Thailand | 9 a.m. GMT/ 4 a.m. ET |
| Nov. 26 | Myanmar v Singapore | 12 p.m. GMT/7 a.m. ET |
| Nov. 29 | Singapore v Malaysia | 12 p.m. GMT/7 a.m. ET |
| Nov. 29 | Thailand v Myanmar | 12 p.m. GMT/7 a.m. ET |
| Dec. 6 | A Second Place v B Winner | 12 p.m. GMT/7a.m. ET |
| Dec. 7 | B Second Place v A Winner | 12 p.m. GMT/7 a.m. ET |
| Dec 10 | B Winner v A Second Place | 12 p.m. GMT/7 a.m. ET |
| Dec. 11 | A Winner v B Second Place | 12 p.m. GMT/7 a.m. ET |
| Dec. 17 | Semifinal 1 Winner v Semifinal 2 Winner | 12 p.m. GMT/7 a.m. ET |
| Dec. 20 | Semifinal 2 Winner v Semifinal 1 Winner | 12 p.m. GMT/7 a.m. ET |
Singapore Hopeful of Repeating 2012 Success
The opening match of Singapore's quest to regain the Suzuki Cup begins with a tough test against the competition's runners-up from 2012, Thailand.
Singapore beat Thailand 3-2 to lift the trophy last time around, and coach Bernd Stange will be hoping his Lions can once again rise to the occasion on home soil.
And Stange was full of praise and admiration for his opponents, as reported by AFFSuzukiCup.com:
"Their results have been amazing—beating Indonesia 6-0 at the Asian Games, drawing with China and beating the Philippines and New Zealand recently.
They have come with a very young team but they have made some fantastic results and they have a bright future. But nobody should be afraid of them. I rate them very highly but we will start 0-0 at home.
"
It has been 12 years since Thailand won the AFF Championship and they will feel enthused with their recent efforts and results.
Their young side is packed full of talent and they will give any opponent a tough hurdle to pass.
Singapore have included Shahril Ishak and Baihakki Khaizan in their squad—both players are centurions in terms of caps won for their country, with Ishak skippering the team.
And the captain was buoyant about his country's defence of their title, saying home advantage could make all the difference, per Khid Kassim of Goal.com:
"We urge our fans, the 12th Man, to turn up in full force and bring the Kallang Roar back for our matches."
Singapore might be favourites in many people's eyes but Thailand are a team who are riding a crest of a wave, with a youthful and exciting core.
There could be a shock on the cards if the home team do not bring their A game to their opening match, and their plans could easily collapse if Thailand take control of the fixture.
Indonesia Looking To Topple Vietnam
The Indonesians face a tough task in their opening gambit of the AFF Championship as they face co-hosts, Vietnam.
Indonesia's coach Alfred Riedl is the former boss of Vietnam—having managed them on three separate occasions.
And Riedl still remains hugely popular in the country after his tenures of coaching their national side, per AFFSuzukiCup.com:
"I feel very well when I come back, and there are so many friendly people around me. Maybe this is the last time I will come back, but in principle I would like to play three times against Vietnam in this tournament.
"
If Reidl gets his wish and plays his former team three times, it will mean that both nations make the final, in December.
Vietnam triumphed at the Suzuki Cup in 2008 and they will be hoping, like Singapore, their home advantage gets them to the knockouts.
The tournament should be a fascinating encounter as a host of sides have genuine ambitions to win the competition. Singapore will feel they have the strength to regain their crown but they will be run close by several nations.
But it is Thailand who seem to be the most interesting of the challengers. As described by Zee Ko, Nick Measures and Khairrul Anuar Azmi for FourFourTwo:
"The Thais are the lowest ranked team in Group B, but any Southeast Asian football fan worth his salt will tell you to underestimate them at your own risk. Despite their FIFA world ranking of 165, the War Elephants are always a fearsome force to be reckoned with at this level.
"
Thailand are the team who could steal the neutral's heart and their battling qualities will make them a hugely popular side.
And if they lift the title in December, there will not be many fans complaining about their unlikely win.
